26.11.08

TRUMP ON HIS WAY TO WEMBLEY

Judd Trump, 19, will become the 11th teenager to compete in the final stages of the Wembley Masters in the tournament’s 35-year history after beating Mark Joyce 6-1 in the qualifying final in Sheffield today.

Trump, an outstanding junior, turned professional in 2005 but has come of age this season, qualifying for the final stages of the first four ranking events and beating Ronnie O’Sullivan on the way to the semi-finals of the Grand Prix.

He used to be very shy but seems now to relish the limelight and there’s no doubt he possesses a fierce talent.

His match against Mark Allen or Mark King at Wembley Arena in January should be one to savour.

The other wildcard will be announced soon with Ricky Walden, the Shanghai Masters champion, the obvious candidate.

Pleased for Judd - shared a few laughs with him up in Glasgow at the Grand Prix and he seems like a nice lad and very modest and unassuming...Good luck to him. As for the wildcard, I'm thinking Chow How Potalot or Wang One In may get a shot to keep the overseas and far east contingent happy......

Ricky Walden is the top ranked player not already in the draw based on the four ranking tournaments played so far this season. Dave Harold is next on that list.Mark Williams is top of those not already in the draw on the provisional ranking list taking in these four tournaments and all of last seasonJohn H

Monique, Dave is higher than Ricky on that provisional list as they have credited him with more points for the remaining tournaments still to be played this season than Ricky. This is because he enters them a round later and has a higher minimum points allocation. Ricky is the higher on points actually earned in the four completed tournamentsJohn H

Point taken. But there was a bit of teasing in my post ... because I very much doubt Dave would get that wildcard even if it was the other way around. He's simply not "commercially attractive" enough.And this is not a go at Dave Harold. He came across as a very nice person when I met him in Duffel and I personnaly don't mind his style of play. But I know what I have read on forums ...